Construction is starting on Kelowna’s first city-wide waterfront park in over a decade, and is anticipated to be complete in Spring 2023. Construction costs for this phase of Pandosy Waterfront Park are $3.85 million.
“The park will become the new waterfront for Pandosy village, with a wide variety of spaces for both local and city-wide residents,” says senior project manager Todd DeGruchy. “For kids, and kids at heart, there will be a misting park adjacent to a large, sand beach area. And for those who simply want to sit and enjoy the activities, there will be lots of places to do that.”
Pandosy Waterfront Park will include beach and picnic seating, a pedestrian promenade, and access to Okanagan Lake. Parks plaza includes park benches, bike stands and basketball hoops, with the parking lot accessible at corner of Meikle Ave and Walnut St.
The bay is both shallow and quite weedy, so not suitable for swimmers or motor boats, but well suited as a hub for paddle sports in the City. Foreshore protection work is also being done to prevent further shoreline erosion fronting the Kelowna Paddle Centre.
Landscaping for the new park includes plantings of native shrubs and grasses that thrive in the Okanagan climate.
Improvements in future phases, subject to required approvals and budget availability, will include a public pier and the build out of the remaining park at north end in conjunction with Kelowna Paddle Centre and public art.
